2009
Showing 33–48 of 678 results
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21st century financial services – Go online to manage your personal finances
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Planning for Prosperity / Wealth Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 350
Abstract: Today, the Internet affects almost all facets of many people’s lives, including managing their personal finances. There’s a wealth of information literally at one’s fingertips, including current bank account balances and up-to-the-minute stock prices. Two important vehicles for online management are banking sites and podcasts.
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On the same page – Communicate your estate planning motives with a mission statement
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Planning for Prosperity / Wealth Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 580
Abstract: There are several reasons to create an estate plan, and there are many estate planning techniques and strategies to help achieve one’s estate planning goals. But, to avoid disputes, an important final step is communicating one’s intent and wishes to family members. This can be accomplished through a written mission statement — an effective way to help loved ones understand the decedent’s motives and the values and principles underlying the estate plan.
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Is it time to refinance your mortgage?
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Planning for Prosperity / Wealth Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 557
Abstract: After the Federal Reserve Board slashed interest rates last spring, it triggered a new wave of mortgage refinancing applications from homeowners seeking to lock in the historically low borrowing costs. But it’s important to review the pros and cons for one’s specific situation before taking the refinancing plunge. Homeowners need to ask themselves questions about their existing mortgage rate and whether it’s fixed or adjustable, along with how long they’ve had their mortgage and how long they expect to be in their home. And strong credit is more important than ever. A sidebar to this article looks at loan-to-value ratios.
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Two options, one choice – As retirement nears, should you keep funds in your employer’s 401(k) plan or roll over into an IRA?
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Planning for Prosperity / Wealth Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 813
Abstract: There’s no one right answer about whether someone approaching retirement should roll over retirement assets or leave them in their 401(k) plan. But one thing is true for everyone — the choice can make a difference in their ability to achieve their long-term financial goals. Taxes and penalties, investment fees, opportunities for diversification, timing of withdrawals, the ability to borrow, and inheritance issues should all be considered in arriving at the best answer.
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Estate Planning Red Flag – A minor is a beneficiary of your life insurance policy
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 292
Abstract: Most estate plans include one or more life insurance policies as a source of liquid funds and additional wealth. A common, but costly, mistake people make is to name a minor child or grandchild — or a legally incompetent adult — as beneficiary. Doing so can lead to several problems, as this short article describes.
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Trust your trustee – Choosing a trustee who will carry out your final wishes
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 619
Abstract: Avoiding probate is a common estate planning objective. One option to help achieve this goal is to establish a living trust, also commonly referred to as a “revocable” or “inter vivos” trust. A living trust allows the transfer of assets to the trust and provides instructions for the distribution of assets after the donor’s death. But it’s necessary to select a trustee to oversee and administer the trust at that time. There are specific duties a trustee must perform, and two types of trustees to consider.
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Transferring the family business – Using a CLAT can benefit charity and your family
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1004
Abstract: A family business owner with philan¬thropic aspirations may have a lot of wealth tied up in the business, making it difficult to give to charity without tapping those assets. At the same time, it can be hard for a donor to retain control of the business during life and to keep the business in the family after death while minimizing estate taxes. One solution worth considering is a charitable lead annuity trust (CLAT). By using a testamentary CLAT (T-CLAT) to hold business interests and then sell those interests to the family, donors can achieve both their business succession and philanthropic goals. A sidebar offers an example of a CLAT in action.
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Is now a good time for a QPRT?
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 665
Abstract: A qualified personal residence trust (QPRT) allows the transfer of a home to children or other family members at a deeply discounted value for gift tax purposes, while allowing the donor the right to live in the home for a set number of years. QPRTs, unlike many estate planning techniques, are generally most effective when interest rates are high. Although interest rates have been low in recent months, the timing may still be right for a QPRT because real estate values are depressed. But it depends on the current value of a home and the current IRS Sec. 7520 rate, as well as the donor’s life expectancy.
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Punitive damages: The financial expert’s role
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Valuation & Litigation Briefing / Litigation & Valuation Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 484
Abstract: Enormous punitive damage awards may be a thing of the past, but they can still make up a significant portion of a plaintiff’s recovery. An appropriate award depends on the defendant’s financial condition. Financial experts can assess this by analyzing financial statements and explaining to the judge or jury how factors other than net worth — such as cash flow and liquidity — can affect a defendant’s ability to pay.
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IP valuation using the relief from royalty method
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Valuation & Litigation Briefing / Litigation & Valuation Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 748
Abstract: In today’s business environment, the valuation of intellectual property (IP) is critical — both to comply with accounting rules and for purposes of financial reporting, tax compliance, litigation, or sale or licensing transactions. Several methods can be used to value IP. One of the most effective can be the relief from royalty (RFR) method. This income-based method estimates the portion of a company’s earnings attributable to an IP asset based on the royalty rate the company would have paid for the use of the asset if it didn’t own it.
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Following the money trail in divorce cases
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Valuation & Litigation Briefing / Litigation & Valuation Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 666
Abstract: Missing income is a common problem in divorce cases. If one spouse owns a business, the other spouse may allege that the business earns more than its financial records suggest. This requires a forensic expert to look behind the numbers and use forensic accounting techniques to search for unreported income. Forensic experts use two basic approaches. One is to search for hidden cash — experts typically rely on four forensic accounting techniques. The other is to identify concealed sources of income.
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Plug the drain – How to detect financial statement fraud
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Valuation & Litigation Briefing / Litigation & Valuation Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 937
Abstract: Sarbanes-Oxley notwithstanding, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) states that U.S. organizations continue to lose about 7% of their annual revenues to fraudsters. It also has found that financial statement fraud is the costliest form. This article looks at common financial statement schemes, and points out red flags in both the documents and in employee behavior that might indicate fraud. A sidebar points to several financial ratios and indicators that signal potential financial statement fraud.
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Employer terminates worker before end of FMLA leave
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Employment Law Briefing
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 530
Abstract: In New York, a worker was terminated before she’d exhausted her 12 weeks of FMLA leave. The twist: Her doctor had already concluded that she’d have been medically unable to return to work until after the leave ended. Her lawsuit alleged that she’d been denied her substantive rights under the FMLA and had been retaliated against for asserting those rights. The Second Circuit examined her claims. Roberts v. The Health Association, 308 Fed. Appx. 568 (2d Cir. N.Y. 2009)
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Do salary deductions negate overtime exemption?
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Employment Law Briefing
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 831
Abstract: Employers have long struggled with the exempt vs. nonexempt quandary. When an employee filed a lawsuit alleging that she’d not been paid overtime pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Sixth Circuit examined whether an employer’s policy of making deductions from plaintiffs’ wages caused those plaintiffs to lose their exempt status from required overtime payments because they failed the test for salaried status. Baden-Winterwood v. Life Time Fitness, 566 F.3d 618 (6th Cir. Ohio 2009). Auer v. Robbins, 519 U.S. 452 (U.S. 1997).
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At issue: Allegedly discriminatory hiring procedures
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Employment Law Briefing
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 771
Abstract: When a woman was turned down for a job, she filed a lawsuit after receiving a right-to-sue letter from the EEOC. In her case, she argued that the interview process was subjective and designed to exclude women and that various statistics regarding the defendant’s workforce and hiring practices created the inference she wasn’t hired because of her gender. This article looks at the Tenth Circuit’s decision, while a sidebar delves more deeply into her claim regarding statistics. Turner v. Public Service Company of Colorado, 563 F.3d 1136 (10th Cir. Colo. 2009).
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The Age Discrimination in Employment Act – Supreme Court rules on age as key factor
November / December 2009
Newsletter: Employment Law Briefing
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 923
Abstract: When age plays only a supporting role in an age discrimination suit, the complexity of the decision deepens. When a 54-year-old administrator was reassigned, and many of his responsibilities were taken on by his younger subordinate, he felt he’d been demoted and filed suit. Eventually, the Supreme Court faced the question of whether a plaintiff must “present direct evidence of discrimination in order to obtain a mixed-motive instruction in a non-Title VII discrimination case.” But the Court had to first determine whether the burden of persuasion ever shifts to the party defending an alleged ADEA mixed-motives discrimination claim. Gross v. FBL Financial Services, 129 S. Ct. 2343 (U.S. 2009) Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, 490 U.S. 228 (U.S. 1989)